Sink or Swim
by TheFairyPrincessNinja-OcAbuser
Summary: Another typical issue for our brave-ish group, with a surprising solution. Enter K.C., a crazy music fanatic, and Maine, an underage womanizer. oh boy... TallaxOc, Slight Little RockxOc, rated T for obvious language and zombie slayin'
1. Stranded

_**Okay, so this is my first Z-Land fic, so try to be nice-ish!**_

_**Disclaimer: unfortunately, not even for Christmas… **_

"Ya stupid spit-fuck…"

"Do you want me to apologize again?"

"Fuck no, I want some fuckin' gas!"

Yup.

This story starts out like a lot of the others do in Zombieland.

Our favorite group of zombie slaying heroes are stranded with an empty tank.

Blame it on Ohio, naturally.

Unfortunately for them, they're nowhere near a gas station or even another car they can jack.

"Of all the fuckin' stupid dipshit things ya had ta do, it's get us fuckin' stranded. In the middle of the fuckin' desert. IN the middle of the fuckin' hottest day in fuckin' history!" Tallahassee wasn't leaving anything out of this tongue lashing. The Floridian man had not only gone back into severe Twinkie withdrawal, but he wasn't dealing with the high temperature very well. None of them were, really. Wichita and Little Rock were still in the truck, too hot to be bothered to do more than stick their heads out the window every once in a while. Columbus was leaning out the driver's side and watching Tallahassee pace with mild concern. In fact, the only one who seemed unfazed by the heat was Nashville, who was lounging in the passenger seat with his small feet on the dashboard.

Nashville had joined the little group after they left Pacific Playland. They found him slaughtering the undead in Las Vegas on top of a casino. How the child from Tennessee got halfway across the country to Nevada was a complete mystery. For a 6-year-old, he was pretty bad ass, not to mention smarter than he should've been with a mouth and dead aim fit to rival Tallahassee's. Tallahassee had actually taken to him first, treating him like his own son. You couldn't tell they WEREN'T father and son, save for the slight differences in their accents. He even had his own hat, a baseball hat that was for a minor league team called the Smokies and was slightly too big for him. No one else had heard of them, but it was safer not to tell the boy that.

Tallahassee kicked the truck hard, letting off another stream of cusses when it surprisingly hurt. Tennessee leaned over Ohio, frowning.

"Yer not 'sposed ta do that, dumb-fuck," He said, halfway falling out of the truck. Tallahassee gave him a stiff finger. Nashville hopped out, running around to the trunk and rummaging for his little backpack.

"We better start walkin', y'all. Dead battery I cin fix, but not no gas," he called, throwing everyone else's bags onto the road.

"Hold on a sec, you little hick," Little Rock burst from her seat, "we are NOT walking!"

Nashville crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, Princess Bitchette, I don't see YOU comin' up with no brilliant plans! At least I got one!"

"Did you just call me a bitch?" Little Rock shrieked, lunging at the young boy.

"Enough! We don't need to walk!" Wichita pointed down the road with a wicked grin. All eyes followed her finger. A very nice Escalade was speeding right towards them. The rest adopted Wichita's smirk. The girls had taught them how to con, and this was a perfect time to practice. Nashville and Little rock threw their stuff back into the truck and leapt in. Columbus shrugged his jacket off and joined Tallahassee in flagging them down.

The Essie slowed down little by little until it stopped right next to them. Even in the broke down truck they could hear the intense bass pounding from inside.

The tinted window rolled down, revealing a teenage boy, about 15 or 16. He looked Asian, but was very tan. His eyes were covered by aviators that glinted sunlight. His hair was a mix of black, blonde and aqua blue, and he was wearing a black shirt with a white skull and a black and green scarf. He had a baseball hat on, shading his face even more.

Beside him a young woman leaned over the wheel to get a good look out the window. She looked older than 20, but younger than 25. She also was wearing aviators, although her right lens was covered by red and brown bangs that tumbled everywhere. She had some band t-shirt over a long sleeved, blue leopard print shirt that had thumb holes. Her right hand had a moto glove with the fingers cut off. A single dog tag hung off a chain around her neck. She had a baseball hat, too, only it had a big white KC embellished across it.

"'Sup?" the boy said, slumping down into his seat like he was disappointed. Beside him the woman began giggling.

"You were DEAD wrong, fucktard! There're no chicks here! Just a big guy and his bitch!" She sat back in her seat, laughing to herself.

"Now, I've never hit a girl," Tallahassee growled, pointing a finger at her. The boy just sighed and pushed his finger away.

"I'm Maine, that's K.C." He jerked a thumb over at her.

"Kansas City," She said, suddenly lurching forwards with a menacing look, "MISSOURI. I am not from fuckin' Kansas!" Maine pushed her back into her seat.

"What can we help you with?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest. Right on cue, Little Rock and Nashville popped up in the backseat and pointed their barrels at the two's heads.

"Outta the car," Nashville said with a smirk. The owners audibly gasped and whipped around to look at him. A look of dread spread across the blonde boy's face and he literally flew out of the car.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT, GET YOUR FUCKIN' ASS BACK HERE!" K.C. screamed, jumping out after him. Nashville immediately ran to Tallahassee.

"You know them?" Columbus asked naively. Wichita had already gotten out of the truck, getting another gasp from Maine. Tallahassee was hopelessly confused, leaving him useless to Nashville. The young boy realized this and began running down the road, knowing the furious woman was hot on his heels.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU BITCH!" He cried as K.C. body checked him to the ground.

"LIKE FUCKIN' HELL, YOU FUCKTARD! GIMME MY GOD DAMNED IPOD BACK YOU SON OF A WHORE!" She shrieked, shaking him wildly.

"YOU CRAZY BITCH, GET TH' FUCK OFF 'IM!" Tallahassee roared, prying the woman off. There was a click and the all stopped.

"Drop her. NOW," Maine growled, pushing his gun into the man's neck. Florida set her down with a growl. K.C. looked back at the tan boy. He jerked his head towards the car and she obeyed, sticking her tongue out at Nashville. He returned it when her back was turned, getting a chuckle from Tallahassee. Maine took his shades off, revealing dark eyes.

"Nashville," he said casually after he heard the car door slam. He walked forwards and held his hand out. Nashville took it and stood up. Maine kept it outstretched once he was up, an expectant look on his face.

"C'mon, she won't let any of us leave until you give her the damned thing," he said irritably, glancing back at the Escalade. Nashville sighed and dug into his pocket, handing the older boy a ball of headphones and glints of orange. Maine nodded, shoving the device into his pocket. He turned to Tallahassee.

"Sorry, man, but it was either you or her, and she's the boss." Maine gave a shrug. Tallahassee frowned and opened his mouth to say something when the horn in the Essie blared loudly. He glared back at K.C., who had a smirk on her face and was waving innocently.

"Anyways, if you needed a lift, you could've said so. How else do you think we know Squirt here?" Maine lightly punched Nashville. "We give people rides all the time. The Essie holds 7 people, so we have just enough room." Maine strolled back over to the passenger side and sat heavily. He looked at all of them.

"Well? If you're coming, then hurry up; I'm fucking sick of this heat." With that he slammed the door shut and propped his feet up on the dash, closing his eyes and putting his aviators back on. K.C. suddenly let out a squeal and fiddled with something for a few seconds before the radio was blaring hard guitars and bass. A huge smile spread across her face and she furiously began head banging. Maine began to tap his foot on the windshield to the beat.

"Hurry up! We're leaving in 2 minutes!" He called again.

Given the choice of going with the insane pair or staying where they were, the group was in the Escalade in 5 seconds.

The assault to their eardrums was worth the A/C.

_**Good? Bad? Horrible? Spectacular? I love Z-Land, and this helps me blow off steam… SO I NEED TO KNOW!  
><strong>_

_**R&R! Be first and get a chapter dedicated to you!**_


	2. Skittel Run

_**Sink or Swim chapter 2! **_

_**Dedicated to WanderingWriter172 for my first review on this story!**_

_**Disclaimer: If only… *sad sigh* I also own no song mentioned/screamed in the Essie!  
><strong>_

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><p>"DROP THAT 8o8 THE WALLS BEGIN TO SHAKE IT'S TOO MUCH FOR THE CLUB TO TAKE! IT'S SHAKIN' LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE! DEVASTAION FROM THE SOUNDS I'M MAKIN' AND THERE'S NO ESCAPING FROM THE BASS! IT'S SHAKIN' LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE!"<p>

"K.C., PLEASE for the love of FUCK turn that down, you're going to make our fucking ears bleed!" Maine shouted from the passenger seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. He'd had just about enough of her screaming over the unbelievably loud music.

"Thank you!" The back seats chorused.

"Is this YOUR bad-ass Escalade?" K.C. asked sarcastically, turning her iPod down for a second. She was not about to turn it off, and Maine knew it.

"No, and I'm not asking you to kill it, either. Just turn it down to a mild roar…" Maine grumbled, rubbing his temples. How the woman could listen to all this loud music and not get a headache was a complete mystery to him. K.C. sighed loudly, but gave the kid a break and turned her precious tunes down a few decibels.

"Happy?" She didn't bother to hide her disappointment.

"Very… Thank you," Maine gave her a dazzling smile. From the backseat, Tallahassee observed the two. He wasn't really known for being the one who did this, but something about the two made them so watchable.

Maine chuckled and shook his head, leaning back in his seat and shutting his eyes. From what he had told them, he was a former high school student from Alberta. All he ever really did was flirt and sleep, 2 things he was very good at. He could sucker any woman, or man for that matter, into doing whatever he wanted with a few lines and a flash of his teeth. Likewise, he could fall asleep practically anywhere. Most of the time while they were diving, he would be dead to the world. He was a Mexasian, which K.C. said meant he was a mix of Mexican and Asian.

K.C. rolled her slate colored eyes and sank back into the seat. She used to be a high school teacher, which accounted for her insanity. Before the epidemic hit, she was trying to get by on a teacher salary while getting a masters. She had to be one of the most bad-ass people in the world, or at least that's what Nashville said. Aside from her insanity, she was a born zombie killer with the biggest sweet tooth you'll ever see. There were several accounts where she almost got either Nashville or Maine killed just so she could go on a candy run.

"So Wichita, are you and Ohio dating or what?" K.C. asked, peering at them from her mirror. Columbus's face lit up like a red Christmas tree, while Wichita just smiled and nodded.

"Aw, well ain't that just peachy," Maine suddenly said sarcastically, shooting K.C. a dirty look.

"Grow a pair, I was curious, dumbfuck," K.C. said happily, bouncing a little to the music. Maine shut his eyes again and sighed loudly, mumbling something about all the good one's getting taken.

"So do you have and Hannah Montana on that thing?" Little Rock asked, leaning over the seat.

"FUCK no! Why would I rape my iPod like that?" K.C. replied with a shocked look.

"Hey now, she's not that bad," Maine said dryly, shaking a finger at her with his eyes still closed. K.C. gave him a horrified look.

"I don't even know you anymore, man…" She said in false horror. "Nashville, you don't like Hannah Montana, right?" The boy shook his head furiously.

"Good boy! You're such a good boy," Missouri sighed with relief. Tallahassee smirked at Nashville, who gave him a wink.

"So what do you have?" Little Rock asked with a disappointed pout.

"The two best genres of music in the entire fuckin' world, dear; Country and Rock."

"Hannah Montana IS country!" The Escalade came to a shrieking stop. K.C. turned in her seat and gave the 12-year-old a look that could kill.

"Don't you ever say that whore is country EVER AGAIN, or I swear to everything you fuckin' believe in I WILL toss your ass outta this vehicle so fast your grandchildren will feel it!"

"Amen!" Tallahassee shouted gleefully.

"Leave her alone! She's just a kid!" Wichita cried from the backseat, coming to her sister's aid.

"Well then she shouldn't've pissed me off, dammit!" K.C. retorted, starting the Essie up again. "If there's one thing I can't stand more than HER, its Justin fuckin' Beiber!" she actually shuddered when she said that.

"Amen again," Tallahassee grunted with a nod.

"You hate him too?" the driver asked with a surprised look.

"Do I look like someone who'd like that piss ant?" He replied with a frown.

"No, but most people come back at me with 'not all his songs are bad!' Which is just complete bull shit; they ALL suck, just like he does." She shrugged, a malicious grin coming to her face.

"Did you hear? HE'S a zombie, too!"

"You're fuckin' me!"

"No, it's true! That's what he gets for coming to America, the little bastard! I'm on a mission to find him so I can pwn his ass!"

"Now THAT 'S something I'd like ta see!" They shared an evil laugh at the thought of mutilating the Canadian pop star.

"You like Nickelback?" K.C. asked, messing with her iPod.

"Can't say I don't," Tallahassee shrugged, still lost in the thought of Beiber slaying. K.C. giggled darkly, slowly turning the volume up.

"Then you'll like this!" Guitars and bass began pounding out, and even Little Rock and Nashville recognized the song; Burn It to the Ground.

"FUCK YEAH!" Tallahassee and K.C. roared together, high-fiving and laughing manically.

"I think Tallahassee has a new best friend!" Columbus half shouted over to Wichita. She laughed and nodded, pointing it out to her sister and Nashville. They all got a good laugh, watching the two play the air guitar and scream the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

In the passenger seat, Maine observed through half-closed eyes. He sighed and shut his eyes.

This Tallahassee, Florida guy was just a boat load of trouble; he could feel it.

* * *

><p>"Why're we stopped?"<p>

"Three reasons. One: we're low on gas. Two: bathroom break. And Three: I fuckin' ran out of Skittles." K.C. jumped out of the driver's seat and ran around the back. She ripped the trunk open and yanked out a rifle, a long hunting knife and… a chain saw.

"Well don't you have fun toys?" Maine shouted sarcastically as he began filing the tank.

"Shut the fuck up!" K.C. screamed back as the others began piling out.

"You're coming?" She asked confusedly as Florida began running into the store with her.

"I want a fuckin' Twinkie!" He called back, tearing down an aisle. K.C. stopped, blinking in bewilderment.

"Well you have fun with that… And speaking of fun!" She started her chain saw up with an insane grin.

_Meanwhile, outside…_

Maine blasted 2 zombies in the face, cursing. The truck was taking too long to fill up; either that or the others were taking too long to do whatever they were doing. He set off two more shots, killing the fleshies for good. He wished he could just get back in the car and go back to sleep, but that wasn't possible at the moment. From inside the convenience store, the sounds of motors, guns shots, and laughter rang out. Maine groaned out loud. Great. K.C. found zombies. Now they were probably going to have to listen to her ranting about it for the next damned hour. _Awesome. _

The pump finally clicked and Maine threw the gas cap back on. He leapt into the Escalade, sighing in relief. He hated zombies, almost as much as he hated loud things, and that wasn't exactly hard to top. He leaned his head back onto the head rest and closed his eyes. If he could just wait for the others, maybe he could slip back to sleep…

One of the doors opened and slammed, shaking the car. Maine glanced back. Little Rock was catching her breath when she noticed he was in the front seat. She gave him a slight smile. He gave her a little nod back, shutting his eyes.

"Are the other's almost done..?"

"I don't know, my sister just told me to come back here, so I did. I think K.C. was helping Tallahassee look for Twinkies." Maine snorted, looking back at her.

"They what? Looking for Twinkies..? The hell is wrong with them? And I thought this was a Skittle run!" He laughed a little, shaking his head.

"Don't ask me! That's how we found him!" Little Rock laughed, too.

"You're kidding me!"

"Nope! Me and my sister conned them in the back of a super market!" They shared a chuckle.

Maine looked out the window. The others where jogging back. Tallahassee looked pissed off and had Nashville over his shoulder, who was laughing like an idiot. K.C. had a smug grin on her face and had her hat on backwards. Wichita and Columbus were surprisingly holding hands, which was weird because Ohio wasn't a fan of PDA.

"God damned fuckin' shitfuck!" Was all Tallahassee said when he threw Nashville in. K.C. threw the weapons into the trunk and hopped into the driver's seat again.

"Damned fine kill in there!" She giggled as the Escalade roared to life.

"What's the matter with him?" Maine asked, watching Florida sulk in the very back seat.

"He's just pissy 'cause there weren't any Twinkies," K.C. replied and she made a sharp turn back onto the road. In response the older man let out another stream of colorful words. Missouri looked at him long and hard in her mirror.

"Maine, what all did you get in your last raid for me?" The tan boy frowned, thinking back.

"Shit, I don't know! All I remember is you screaming at me and I almost got bit! Then you went all ninja and came out of nowhere, and that's that." He crossed his arms and sank back into his seat. K.C. was quiet for a little bit, then reached behind her, smacking Nashville in the knee.

"Nash, you see the Wal-Mart bag under my seat?" The blonde got on the floor and confirmed.

"Give it here." The boy handed her the plastic bag and she began rummaging loudly through it.

"Hey dumbfuck, keep your eyes on the road!" Maine hissed as they swerved around dangerously.

"Oh, it's not like I'm gonna hit anyone! And don't call me a dumbfuck, dipshit!" K.C. shot back, steering back onto the road with her knee. She grumbled and kept searching. Her face suddenly lit up and she laughed loudly.

"Maine, you are officially the hero of the day!" Before anyone could ask, K.C. began throwing Twinkies back, shouting 'Pass it on, one for everyone!' Everyone let out a mix of a laugh and a cheer; well, everyone but Tallahassee. He looked shocked, happy, and damned near furious, all at the same time.

"Were these in here the entire fuckin' time?" He finally asked, clinging to the treat like it was going to run away.

"Apparently, but Maine, being a lazy and fuckin' mean as hell SOB, decided not to tell me what was in MY candy bag!" K.C. glared at the teenager, who shrugged.

"Hey, at least I try… Here man, you have this. I'm not hungry after blowin' up the undead." He tossed his Twinkie back before propping his feet up on the dash and instantly falling asleep. Tallahassee could have jumped to the front seat and killed him, but he was too busy with other matters.

K.C. watched the backseats and sighed, shaking her head with a puzzled smile.

'_Well, he's easy to please!'_

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><p><em><strong>That ending… sucked SOO much… Hopefully it'll get better!<strong>_

_**Please R&R! be first and get a chapter dedicated to you!**_


	3. The Fourth Wall

_**Sink or Swim chapter 3! Yeah, that's all I got right now… Sorry!**_

_**Disclaimer: Even after I cleaned my room today I couldn't find them! T_T**_

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><p>"Are you fucking me..?"<p>

"What? Everyone else is fine with it!"

"This is the most over used plot line for Zombieland!"

"The what now?"

"DAMMIT MAINE, STOP BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL!"

Can anyone guess where they are?

Good for you if you guessed the mall!

While keeping Maine in a chokehold, K.C. pulled up to the doors.

"Can… you at least… tell me… why..?" Maine strangled out. K.C. shut the car down and let the teen go.

"The truth? Or the slight truth that's been bugging the fuck outta me?" Maine gave her an 'are you stupid?' look. K.C. took that as a yes for both.

"The truth is I love pissing you off. You give great reactions. Sorry buddy," she slapped him on the shoulder, "And the slight truth that's been bugging the fuck outta me is that we need new clothes. Because we all stink. REALLY bad." K.C. hopped out, along with Wichita and Little Rock. The men sat in the car for a few seconds. Maine looked back.

"Y'all didn't say no?" He said with a pissy look.

"Well, apparently their vote counts for 5 of ours," Columbus said nervously as K.C. began going through the trunk. Tallahassee shrugged; he was using this as an excuse to hack a few zombies. And naturally, where ever Florida went, Nashville wasn't going to be far behind.

While Maine was trying to count that up in his head (because he was almost certain that they still out numbered the girls), the rest got out of the Escalade. The tan boy's shoulders slumped. He wasn't going to win. K.C. would drag his ass out of that car no matter what, even if that meant dragging him out by gun point. He knew she would because she _has._ Reluctantly he slid out. He had a bad feeling in his gut about this whole mall thing. A REALLY bad feeling.

"Where to now?" Maine asked with a fresh new pissy look on his face.

"Well, I don't know about y'all, but I'm hitting up the Hot Topic!" K.C. winked with a smirk. "I mean, if we're going 'shopping', why not treat ourselves to the best?" With that she bolted, Maine running behind. I mean, come on! Rule # 29, buddy up! Maine didn't want to break the rules or anything!

"I think he just wanted to go shopping with her…" Little Rock said, now bored since the Odd Couple had left. Wichita laughed and lead her away, probably to find something that would fit the young girl without it being from Justice. The last three just looked at each other and wandered off.

All in all, it had been a pretty good idea. Maine introduced the boys to the wonders that is the back of a Spencer's. K.C. was actually acting girly and even went into the Victoria's Secret with the sisters, even if it had taken some bribing. And after almost giving up hope, the group had found a candy store that had one lonely Twinkie left. They all got clothes that didn't reek and quite frankly everyone was in a great mood.

That's why they were running like maniacs back to the car.

Because anyone who lives in Zombieland knows that you have to enjoy the little things;

Because you know they WILL get ripped away from you at the last second.

K.C. shot down the zombies that where getting too close. Dammit, there were too many! Sure, they had anticipated this when they got here, but this was just crazy! She cursed loudly and began running a different way.

"What th' fuck're ya doin'?" Tallahassee roared, almost stopping. ALMOST being the key word.

"Leadin' them off, fucktard! Get the fuck back to the car, NOW! Maine, you know the drill!" She shouted back before whistling loudly.

"C'mon, you fucking parasites of the goddamned world, let's see you get a piece of K.C., Mo!" She flipped them off as they began running towards her. Tallahassee watched her sprint off with a strange feeling in his gut. He cursed loudly and took off after her.

"Talla, what're ya-"

"Get to the mutherfuckin' car! If anythin' happens ta Nashville, yer all gonna pay!" He screamed, cocking his gun.

"We can't stand here arguing! Come on!" Maine shouted, pulling Nashville behind him by a hand.

"Wh-what did she mean by 'you know the drill'?" Columbus asked as they all vaulted into the Escalade.

"I have to get to the truck and drive in and find them," Maine scrambled over to the driver's seat and turned the keys in the ignition, "Once we find them, we got 2 options: A, they're alive and/or haven't been bitten and we shoot the ever-loving fuck outta those mother fuckers until they can get into the car." The boy slammed on the gas pedal, sending them crashing through the glass doors.

"An' option B?" Nashville whimpered as he was smashed into the door by Columbus (by accident, of course). Maine was silent for a moment, gripping hard onto the steering wheel.

"A-and if they're almost dead or have gotten bit, then I have to shoot 'em and then we bolt. Right in the back of the neck, like K.C. showed me," He said in a voice that was delicately laced with fear.

Wichita gave him a horrified look from the passenger seat and Columbus's face went deathly pale. Little Rock clung to Ohio's sleeve, biting down on her lip hard. Maine kept his face set in stone, focusing on swerving and missing anything that could total them. Nashville carefully climbed up and tugged on his shirt.

"Maine..? Ya don't mean ya gotta… kill 'em… do ya?" The tan boy felt his heart break at the scared tone in the younger boy's voice.

"Nash… What I mean is I'll make it painless. That's all I can promise, bud."

* * *

><p>"GOD FUCKIN' DAMMIT, WHY DIDN'T YA GO BACK TO THE FUCKIN' CAR, FUCKTARD?" K.C. screamed as she shot two down.<p>

"'CAUSE ONLY AN IDIOT DIPSHIT WOULD GO OF BY THEMSELF, YA FUCKIN' DUMB-ASS BITCH!" Tallahassee screamed back, taking down several more.

"SAYS THE ONE WHO DOES THAT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION!" K.C. began beating some over the head with the end of her rifle, screaming 'DIE, YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!'

"ONLY 'CAUSE I HAVE BACKUP!" Tallahassee shot them in the head twice. He grabbed K.C.'s shoulder and looked her hard in the eyes.

"I couldn't take on that many without bein' locked up!" He gestured down at the horde that was trying to climb its way up onto the ledge.

"What th' hell makes ya think YOU can?"

"Dammit, I DON'T!" She shoved him off. She glared at the ground for a few seconds, taking a few deep breaths.

"I'm not letting anyone else turn into one of those fucking things; I don't give a fuck if I just met you a few days ago!" She said through gritted teeth.

"I'm never going to let that happen again! NEVER! Not again..! Not… after…" Tallahassee looked down at her. She had shut her eyes and was breathing hard. She coughed hard into her fist a few times, gasping for air.

"Fuckin' fine… time… for… an attack..!" She wheezed, laying a hand over her chest.

"For a what..?" He frowned.

"Asthma… Fucktard..!" She began coughing again, almost losing her balance. Tallahassee caught her across the chest. He could feel her heart racing on his arm. It was a little scary, seeing someone breathe that fast.

"Dammit, where the fuck are they?" He began searching for the Escalade. He knew they wouldn't leave without them; even Wichita wasn't that heartless. He looked back at K.C. She was in a sorry shape. Tallahassee knew she couldn't run anymore. He really didn't want to carry the woman. She wasn't too big or anything, but this was one of those situations where they had to be as fast as humanly possible. He heard screeching and gun shots and looked down.

The black Essie was parked right below them, Maine, Nashville and Wichita leaning out the windows and firing shot after shot. Out the other side Columbus and Little Rock were screaming at them to come down.

"I go down first, then you!" Before K.C. could object Florida dropped down and landed hard. He was shaken, but not broken. He looked back up at K.C. She almost looked scared to jump. Tallahassee cursed, and then held his arms out.

"Jump dammit!" K.C. looked surprised. Then she shut her eyes and jumped. Tallahassee caught her around the waist and fell back into the car.

The door was ripped open and the truck screamed away. Everyone yelled as they were tossed around the cab. Maine wildly tore around corners, hitting a few zombies while doing so. Finally they crashed through the entrance again. They swung onto the highway and sped off. Everyone was silent for a few tense seconds, gasping for air from the terrifying ride. It was shattered when K.C. began coughing roughly.

"Shit, Wichita get into the glove box and get her inhaler!" Maine peered at K.C. in the rearview mirror. She was doubled over Tallahassee's knee, gasping. She looked like she was in real pain.

"Florida, get her to sit up straight. She's worse off like that." After struggling for a bit, Missouri slumped back onto the seat.

"I found it!" The brunette turned around and handed it back to Tallahassee.

"Okay, shake that up real good for a sec," Maine instructed, relaxing a little. The man did as he was told. K.C. took it from him with a shaky hand and fumbled the cap off the mouth piece. She held it in her mouth with both hands for a few seconds before pressing down and taking a huge breath.

"You alright?" Maine asked as she let her breath go.

"Better…" she forced out woozily, weakly shaking it again.

"It's been a while since you had to use it," Maine sighed with a smile, sitting back in the seat. K.C. nodded with her inhaler in her mouth.

"Sorry if that scared you guys; she doesn't get attacks that much anymore, but when she does they can be brutal," Maine explained as everyone else settled down. K.C. took another big breath, managing to hold it longer than the first time.

"Sports induced asthma," she said feebly as she let go.

"Or, as the case may be, physical activity induced asthma," Maine said from the front seat, slowing down so he wouldn't burn anymore gas than he needed to. K.C. rested her elbows on her knees, trembling a little.

"Sports induced asthma sounds better," she said, managing a little laugh.

Maine began laughing uncontrollably. He couldn't help it. After what he was just put through, that was the funniest thing he had heard all day. Nashville began giggling at the older boy for acting so out of character. And as anyone will know, 6-year-old laughter is contagious. Soon the entire car was full of laughter; full, gut wrenching laughter. Even K.C. laughed a little, though not as much as everyone else; she knew when and when not to push it. She just mostly smiled, finally leaning back onto the seat again. She shut her eyes, grinning widely at the ceiling.

"Son of a shit, I'm tired…" She sighed, her hair falling into her face.

"I'll second that!" Tallahassee chuckled, getting comfortable in the seat. K.C. blew her bangs back, eyeing him with tired eyes.

"When you fight a horde and have a 10 minute long asthma attack, then you can come see me. Otherwise, don't talk to me about tired." Tallahassee faked a hurt look.

"Hey now, I helped! An' I had to catch ya when ya jumped, ya chicken!" K.C. gave him the best glare she could.

"You saying I'm heavy..?"

"No, I'm just sayin' if ya weren't a chicken then I wouldn't have the start of a bruise on my back!"

"So you're saying I'm heavy AND you have no sense of balance..?"

"Th' hell does that mean? An' dammit I never said ya were heavy!"

"It means, dumbfuck, that apparently you can't stand up straight if something hits you... And you obviously think I'm heavy because you keep bringing it up..."

"Ya crazy bitch, I keep bringin' it up 'cause YOU keep bringin' it up!"

"Well that just shows what kind of self-esteem I have…"

Everyone else had long since tuned them out; they were used to their random (not to mention stupid) arguments.

"Now, what does self-esteem have ta do with anythin'?"

"It has to do with the fact that I think I'm heavy… That's the only way I can explain the asthma… I mean, I'm no twig like Ohio… Which, by the way, there's nothing wrong with…" She added that last part when Wichita gave her a glare.

Tallahassee looked long and hard at K.C. She shut her eyes again, her little blue inhaler on stand-by in her lap. She wasn't heavy. Well, she was heavier than he had anticipated, but she might as well be huge by the way she was talking about herself. But anyone would lose their balance if something fell into them, heavy or not. She wasn't heavy at all. He knew because he basically carried her to the car! She wasn't heavy, not one bit of her! If anything she was all muscle!

The Floridian man frowned and looked out the window; why was he giving this so much thought? Thinking wasn't something he did, unless it was about zombies, Buck, Nashville or Twinkies. Why would he think so much about how this woman felt about herself? It didn't make sense to him.

He watched the sun sink lower as they drove through the desert. Everyone else had fallen asleep, exhausted by how the day had turned out. Maine kept a slow but steady pace, looking like he was enjoying the peace. Tallahassee started to doze off when he felt something leaning on his shoulder. He looked over, a vague look of surprise crossing his face.

K.C. had her head on his shoulder.

Now, he wasn't surprised she was dead asleep. What surprised him was that it was like Missouri did it on purpose. But she couldn't have, she was the first one asleep! He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't really want to wake her, she needed to get better. But at the same time, he knew his entire arm would be asleep and tingly before she woke up on her own, and he hated that feeling. He frowned, not really seeing why he was so concerned about her. Honestly, what had gotten into him? He scowled. He didn't know what this woman was doing to him, but he didn't like it. Not one bit.

He looked down at her. She had a peaceful look on her face. He was close enough at he noticed the faint freckles slashed across her cheeks and nose. Florida had to admit, K.C. wasn't bad looking. Almost cute if you hadn't seen her go on a killing spree. Even then she was still pretty good looking.

Tallahassee carefully pulled his arm out from under K.C.'s head and wrapped it around her shoulders. He sighed, closing his eyes.

While slightly embarrassing, it was much more comfortable for both of them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm much happier with this ending than with the last one… O, and if you remember my first chapter where I said I didn't care if you reviewed?<strong>_

_**I lied. HORRIBLY.**_

_**I like reviews, so please tell me what you think… I was just really tired the day I published the story…**_

_**R&R PLEASE! Be first and get a chapter dedicated to you!**_


	4. October 29th

_**Sink or Swim chapter 4! Enjoy!**_

_**WARNING: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES READ THIS CHAPTER WHILE LISTENING TO A SAD/SLOW SONG. I STARTED CRY WHILE DOING THAT AND WRITING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**_

_**DISCLAIMER: SHITFUCK! Still can't find them…**_

* * *

><p>"So where do we wanna bunk tonight?" K.C. asked as she glanced at the sun. It was nearly twilight, and she was pretty sure no one wanted to sleep in the car again. Well, maybe Maine, but he didn't count.<p>

"This is your neighborhood, you decide," Said her second in command from the passenger seat. She snapped her gum impatiently. Sure, they WERE in Missouri, but that didn't mean she knew everything about everything!

"Truth be told, dumbfuck, I have no idea where we are… I've never been near southern Mo before!" Maine snorted at this.

"I thought you lived here at one point!"

"Dumb fucktard, I lived in Kansas City! On occasion we would go to Maryville or Branson or maybe St. Louis! I've lived in the suburbs most of my life!"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything…"

"Dumbfuck, those are all in the fuckin' north and are all damned near fairly big cities! Not fuckin' nothing but deserted farmland, dipshit!"

"Damn, lay off the kid, he was jokin'!" Tallahassee said with a laugh, slapping her in the shoulder. She smacked him back, much harder than his playful one.

"I don't give a fuck! I'm serious, Maine, quit fuckin' around!" Maine glanced over at the driver. K.C. had an almost death grip on the wheel and looked pissed beyond reckoning. He suddenly got worried. The last time she acted like this was almost a year ago, and that was when…

Maine took a better look at her. He saw it now, she was definitely upset. He reached down and picked her iPod up, flipping to the menu.

"Put it the fuck down, NOW!"

"Dammit woman, I'm checking the date!" K.C.'s face suddenly went from furious to miserable.

"October 29th…" She muttered, slumping into her seat. Maine's breath got caught in his throat.

"K.C., I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"It's fine, man… Just shut the fuck up, okay?" Maine sat back in his seat, cradling his head in his hands. Now he felt like an ass. And on top of it, he was getting upset, too.

The backseat stayed quiet, shocked from K.C.'s outburst. It was weird, even for her.

K.C. took a shuddering breath, reached over, and squeezed Maine's shoulder.

"It's okay, hon. It's alright."

* * *

><p>They finally spotted a motel right as Nashville was falling asleep on Tallahassee's lap. After K.C. took care of the few zombies (with much less than her usual enthusiasm), they divided up into rooms on the second floor. Wichita and Little Rock, K.C. and Maine, and Tallahassee, Columbus and Nashville.<p>

Tallahassee carefully set Nashville down onto their bed; he never minded sharing with the boy. He set their bags on the floor next to the bed and leaned against the wall. Columbus looked up at him from his bed and sat up.

"Y-you're worried about K.C. and Maine, aren't you..?" Tallahassee laughed bitterly; the spit-fuck knew him too well now.

"Maybe a lil… I mean, they were acting weird, don'tcha think?" Columbus nodded, chewing on the string of his hoodie.

A little knock came from their door, and before they could answer the door, Maine shuffled in, his dark eyes cast towards the floor. Right behind him was Wichita and Little Rock, looking confused. Maine sat heavily on one of the beds, making Nashville wake up with a start.

"I suppose you all want to know what K.C.'s little episode was about, huh..?" No one spoke. They just stared at the teenager. He sighed sadly and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Well, K.C. sent me to tell you. She thinks it'll be better if you knew so you wouldn't bug her for the next couple of days," He looked up at the three that were still standing, "This is gonna take a while; you might wanna grab a seat."

Wichita walked over and sat down next to Columbus. Little Rock sat down next to Nashville, who was now fully awake. Tallahassee stayed where he was; he didn't feel like sitting, dammit.

Maine took a minute to gather his thoughts before beginning.

"Before the world got fucked up… K.C. had a kid…" He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, like he was going to start crying.

"K.C. had a kid, and… Jesus, Ricky was her whole world…" Tallahassee felt his chest get tight. She had a little boy? She used to have a little boy just like he did?

"Ricky… wasn't supposed to happen, see? K.C. got raped when she was 17, and Ricky was the result of that… She doesn't believe in abortion, so she was just going to have him and have him adopted. But… she always told me that when he was born, she just couldn't give him up. Not to anyone," Maine smiled sadly. Then his mouth went back to a hard line.

"Ricky was one of those special needs kids. He looked completely normal, but his brain wasn't as developed as it should have been. But K.C. just sort of told the world 'Fuck you, this is my boy. And he's so much more than you'll ever be.' So she was living on welfare and trying to get a degree in medicine so she could support herself and Ricky, on top of being a teacher to pay the bills." Maine stopped and wrung his hands, searching for more words.

"So… so when the epidemic broke out, naturally she did whatever she had to do to keep him safe. About that time, I'd called her… I told her that I'm her younger cousin, I lived in Alberta, Maine, and my parents are zombies. The only thing she asked me was if I could wait for a little while." Maine wrung his hands some more, like there was something on them and he needed to get it off.

"She's such a brave woman… She barely knew me, and yet she drove thousands of miles just because I asked for her help… She would call me every thirty minutes to make sure I was okay… And when she pulled up at my house, god, it was like I was her long lost brother or something… I love her so damned much…" A few tears dripped from his dark eyes, and he sat there for a little bit trying to get a hold of himself again. He took another shuddering breath and plowed on through.

"We were doing alright for a while… She taught me how to drive and shoot, 'cause she was always saying that if one of us got bit, it was gonna be her… And I needed to know how to defend Ricky and myself if it ever happened…" Maine's face grew cold and emotionless.

"And then I got sick."

The whole room was quiet. Tallahassee shifted uncomfortably; he already had a pretty good idea where this was going. He wasn't sure, but the sinking feeling in his gut was telling him otherwise.

"That saint of a woman was only worried about me and Ricky. She tore through pharmacy after pharmacy trying to find something that would help me. At the last one we went to, she kissed both of us and told us to watch each other. Ricky knew it was hard for me to be awake, so he told me to go to sleep and he would wake me up if any where coming near the car." Maine clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

"They got into the damned car… and I was trying to keep Ricky safe, I was only thinking about him… and I'm such a fucking idiot… I told the bastard to run..!" Maine began shaking, and his face was turning dark red with fury.

"God dammit, why the hell did I fucking tell him that? The fucking bastard listened! He listened because he didn't know any better; he didn't know I'm a fucking fool! He ran away, and I screamed for K.C. because I didn't know what to do, dammit, I fucking didn't know what to do!" Maine clawed at his head, remembering in vivid detail.

* * *

><p><em>MOM! <em>

_I'm so scared._

_I'm out of ammo. I don't know where Ricky or mom is. I can't stand straight. I can't see straight._

_I'm so fucking scared._

_I hear gun shots. Someone yanks me off the ground._

'_Devin, where's Ricky?'_

_I'm crying like a baby._

_I don't know, I bawl._

_I'm so sorry, Mom, I don't know where he is, I told him to run and he ran, I don't know where he is!_

'_Devin, sweet heart, you need to calm down, okay? It's gonna be alright, I promise, we're all gonna be alright!'_

_She picks me up and starts screaming Ricky's name over and over again._

_I can't do anything but cry._

_Mom stops calling._

_She puts me down and begins running._

_I collapse on the ground._

'_No… No, nonononono NO!"_

_I hear gun shots._

_I get to my knees and I look up._

_I scream._

_I scramble over, crying even louder._

'_I'm sorry, Devin… I didn't run fast…'_

_I hit my knees, cursing over and over again and pounding on the dirt._

_Mom's holding him, cradling him like a baby._

_She's crying._

_This pillar of strength is fucking sobbing her eyes out. _

'_Devin, I'm sorry…'_

_Dammit Ricky, it's not your fault!_

'_I'm sorry…'_

_Please, just stop! Just stop saying that! Please, God, I'll do anything!_

'_I'm sorry…'_

_It's all my fault! Dammit, it's all my fucking fault!_

'_Devin… It's not your fault…'_

_I look at Mom._

_She looks ready to kill herself._

_She sits Ricky up, rubbing his back like he likes._

'_Ricky, sweetheart? Do you remember what Mommy told you about if she got bit?'_

_Ricky barely nods._

'_Well, sweetie, Mommy has to make sure that doesn't happen to you… Do you understand?' _

'_Yes, Mommy…'_

_I scream again. I hide my face. I can't see her do it. _

_Not to my baby brother._

'_Now, Ricky, honey, I want you to tell Devin that you love him, alright?'_

_She lifts my face up and I look right into his eyes._

_He has Mom's eyes._

'_I love you, Devin… You're the best big brother in the world…'_

_I love you too, Ricky. Oh God, I love you so much. I'm so sorry, Ricky, you know that, right? I'm so sorry, and I love you._

_He smiles._

_Oh God, he's smiling._

'_I like it when you say that, Devin…'_

_I keep saying it._

_Over and over again._

_Anything for my baby brother._

'_Now, darling, I need you to close your eyes… I need both of you to close your eyes.'_

_Ricky shuts his eyes._

_I can't._

_I just can't._

'_Now, baby, I need you to imagine we're at home. I need you to make believe that we're at home, and there are no scary monsters. It's just you and Devin and Mommy. _

_And we're all in the big chair, and Mommy's rocking you like you like. Can you see it, Ricky?"_

_Ricky nods._

_He's smiling._

_I love you Ricky…_

_Mom cocks the gun and holds it right where she showed me._

_I love you… Ricky, I'm so sorry..! I love you so damned much..!_

_Tears are flowing down Mom's face._

_Dammit, Ricky, I love you so fucking much..!_

'_Ricky..? I love you. You know that, right?'_

'_I love you too, Mommy…'_

_I love you Ricky!_

'_Y-you know what I love, Mommy..?'_

'_What, baby..?_

'_I love you, and I love Devin… You are the best family in the world..!'_

_Mom lets out a sob._

_Oh God, Ricky, I love you so much!_

'_Mommy loves you, honey…'_

_Mom shuts her eyes._

_Ricky keeps on smiling._

_I love you!_

'_Mommy loves you!'_

* * *

><p>"Devin… honey, look at me."<p>

Maine kept sobbing into his chest.

"Devin, look at me."

Maine whimpered, almost screaming.

"Goddammit, Devin, look at me!"

K.C. jerked his face up.

She'd been crying.

Maine shook his head.

"Mom, I'm so sorry… Goddammit, Nellie, It's all my fault!"

K.C. crushed him in a hug, rocking back and forth and petting his hair.

"It's okay, honey… Devin, it's alright… He's alright now… He's alright now, sweetie, I promise…"

K.C. felt more tears coming to her eyes, but her voice stayed even.

"It's not your fault… Devin, it's not your fault… I promise, it's not your fault…"

She made him stand and pushed him out of the room before looking back.

Everyone looked like they'd been crying at one point.

K.C. smiled tiredly.

At least she got stuck with the ones who had hearts.

* * *

><p>The next morning no one really said much of anything. If anything, K.C. was the liveliest, and that wasn't saying much. They packed up and got in the car silently. K.C. was making Maine sit in the back so he could get some more sleep. It wasn't rocket science to know that he hardly slept the night before. Tallahassee took the second in command spot. No one fought with him about it.<p>

They were waiting for Columbus, Maine and the sisters to come out. They'd been given 5 minutes, but everyone was moving about as slow as Maine was. Eventually, Florida sent Nashville in to tell them to hurry up. The little boy only nodded and sprinted in.

Tallahassee looked over at K.C. She had her wallet out and open and was smiling ever so slightly. She looked over at him and showed him the inside.

There was a single picture. It was K.C., only much happier. Her hair wasn't hanging in her face, and she had a sweet smile gracing her lips. She was holding a kid. His eyes were closed and his light brown hair was sticking up everywhere. He had the biggest smile on his face.

"That's my boy," she said in a soft, motherly voice.

Tallahassee felt his chest get tight. He knew what it felt like. He knew what it felt like to get your heart ripped out. He knew what it felt like for your entire reason for living to suddenly stop existing.

He took his wallet out of his back pocket and flipped it open. He showed her the pictures of Buck.

"That's MY boy."

K.C. could tell by the way his voice just very barely cracked. He knew exactly what she was going through.

She smiled in the same motherly way.

"He's a beautiful boy. He looks just like you." Tallahassee laughed a little.

"So does yours. He looks a lot like his momma." K.C. smiled and looked back down at her picture. A few tears rolled down her face, but her smiled stayed glued to her face.

"He does, doesn't he?" She laughed softly, grabbing the dog tag around her neck.

"This was his… He always was saying he was gonna be in the army so he could take care of me…" She rested her head on the steering wheel, laughing louder.

"He said it 'cause he knew I fuckin' hate army men!" She broke down in a laughing fit, squeezing the name tag in her fist and tears streaming down her face.

Tallahassee didn't know what came over him.

After Buck's mother left him, the man swore he was never going to love another woman again.

He always told his son that they were just trouble, and all they needed was each other.

But watching K.C. cry over her son again, something just tore him to shreds.

This woman, this _mother, _lost the only thing that was keeping her from going crazy.

She was exactly like him.

K.C. knew what it felt like to lose a little boy, just like Tallahassee.

He reached over and crushed her in a hug.

She returned it with equal force. She wasn't laughing anymore. She was crying. She clung to Tallahassee, sobbing loudly. Tallahassee could feel a few tears run down his face, too. He practically pulled her onto his lap, holding her and hoping she didn't know he was crying, too. He was glad they were the only ones in the car. Not just because he was crying, but because they both needed this. He had a feeling they did. They needed to know that there really was someone who knew how hard it was. They needed to know that they really weren't alone.

They heard the others come out of the motel.

K.C. pulled away from Tallahassee, scrubbing her cloud colored eyes and sitting back into the driver's seat. Tallahassee wiped his eyes just as they opened the door and got in. Maine slumped and sat behind K.C., immediately shutting his dark ringed eyes and falling asleep. Nashville sat behind Tallahassee. Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock sat in the very back.

"K.C., are ya alright?" Nashville asked like a young boy will. She sighed and looked back at him. She was smiling a little bit.

"Not even close. But I'm doing better, honey. Thank you for asking," She leaned back and kissed him on the forehead. For some reason, Tallahassee had the thought of a MILF flash through his head.

K.C. started the car and they drove off. She kept an easy pace, and she mostly kept to softer songs so she wouldn't wake up Maine. Eventually the back seats fell fast asleep. Tallahassee didn't. He stayed awake, looking out the window in a daze.

"Hey Tallahassee..?" He looked over at K.C. She was smiling a little bit again. Only it wasn't in the motherly sense he'd seen all day. It was _way_ different.

"Thanks."

Tallahassee blinked in shock before giving her a gruff 'welcome' back. He shifted around in his seat a little, feeling uncomfortable. Damn, this woman had him good, didn't she? He glanced over at her right hand. It was where it always was; on the arm rest, ready to change a song when needed. He stared at it for a long time.

He uncertainly reached over and took it, intertwining their fingers.

He looked at her face.

Mildly surprised and completely satisfied.

At least they were on the same page.

* * *

><p><em>Longest. Chapter. That I have ever written. EVER. <em>

_Anywho, I hope that end wasn't stupid. It was the only thing I could think of…_

_R&R! be first and get a chapter dedicated to you!_

_PRESS. THE PERIWINKLE/BLUE-Y/PURPLE-ISH. BUTTON. O.o_


	5. Random Weather

_**Sink or Swim chapter 5! Dedicated to Cora Knight!**_

_**Disclaimer: no… T_T**_

* * *

><p>"WHY TH' FUCK IS IT SNOWING IN FUCKIN' NOVEMBER?"<p>

"Um… Missouri is known for bipolar weather..?"

K.C. quickly turned up the heat. She'd grown up with the ridiculous weather patterns of her home state, but the rest of the passengers weren't taking it very well. Hell, yesterday it was beautiful out! Must've been at_ least_ 65 degrees! Now it was colder than a meat locker and SNOWING! Even Columbus was peeved off.

K.C. looked nervously out the window. Normally she loved the snow. She always thought it was beautiful, especially the morning right after an all-night snowfall. But not during the day. ESSPECIALLY when she was driving. She gently pulled to a stop.

"What are you doing?" Maine asked from the back seat.

"Putting my hair up, what does it look like?" K.C. flipped her head upside down and brushed through her hair with her fingers.

"Why the fuck are you doing that NOW?"

K.C. turned around, smoothing her hair back and glaring at him with a serious look.

"Boy, do you really wanna crash? 'Cause if you think black ice is bad in Maine, then you obviously haven't been to the Midwest during a blizzard." K.C. slicked her bangs back and bound her hair up into a high pony tail. She leaned back and gave everyone a look that could be described as 'a teacher who's had just about enough of dumb questions'.

"I'm gonna tell you straight up, folks, weather in Missouri is as intense as it is insane. Summers get up to past 100 WITHOUT humidity. Winters get below as far as -20 BEFORE it will snow and WITHOUT taking wind chill into account. There is no such thing as a 'normal' day of weather in my neighborhood. So commenting on my being overly cautious will result in getting your ass thrown in the snow. Got it?"

After receiving at least a nod from everyone, K.C. shifted back into her seat. She slowly started again, seeming much more in control now that she could see clearly.

"_I hate the weather… Makes me sweat and makes me shake… I hate the weather… No matter how many snowmen I make…"_ K.C. sang/muttered under her breath. Tallahassee gave her a surprised look, and then looked back, pointing and mouthing 'is she singing?'

"_I hate the weather,"_ K.C. continued without realizing she was speaking out loud, _"It's up to my knees… I hate the weather and it hates me…_ Shit," she slammed on the breaks and the wheels spun wildly under them. They finally slowed down and she continued.

"_I fuckin' hate the weather… Rain dumping onto my head… I hate the god damned weather… I wish I'd stayed in bed…"_ She suddenly reached down and messed with her iPod.

Strangely enough, a piano began playing.

"_I let it fall, my heart,  
>And as it fell you rose to claim it<br>It was dark and I was over  
>Until you kissed my lips and you saved me,"<em>She looked thoughtful for a moment while the music played. Tallahassee looked at her. She was still goofing around, but he was wondering why she chose it song in specific.

_"My hands, they're strong  
>But my knees were far too weak<br>To stand in your arms  
>Without falling to your feet," <em>K.C. actually began to put some effort into it. Everyone was shock to find that she didn't completely suck.

_"But there's a side to you  
>That I never knew, never knew.<br>All the things you'd say  
>They were never true, never true,<br>And the games you play  
>You would always win, always win..!"<br>_

_"But I set fire to the rain,  
>Watched it pour as I touched your face,<br>Well, it burned while I cried  
>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!" <em>K.C. seemed lost in her world again, oblivious that there were other people in the car with her.

_"When I lay with you  
>I could stay there<br>Close my eyes  
>Feel you here forever<br>You and me together  
>Nothing is better…"<em>

_"'Cause there's a side to you_  
><em>That I never knew, never knew,<em>  
><em>All the things you'd say,<em>  
><em>They were never true, never true,<em>  
><em>And the games you play<em>  
><em>You would always win, always win..!"<em>

_"But I set fire to the rain,_  
><em>Watched it pour as I touched your face,<em>  
><em>Well, it burned while I cried<em>  
><em>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!"<em>

Everyone stayed silent as K.C. sang. She actually could! It seemed that all she could ever do is scream the lyrics!

"_I set fire to the rain_  
><em>And I threw us into the flames<em>  
><em>Where I felt something die<em>  
><em>'Cause I knew that there was the last time, the last time!"<em>

K.C. peered through the windshield, wishing the snow would let up some. She was also silently thanking god that her plan to shut everyone up was working, so she could concentrate.

_"Sometimes I wake up by the door,_  
><em>That heart you caught must be waiting for you<em>  
><em>Even now when we're already over<em>  
><em>I can't help myself from looking for you."<em>

_"I set fire to the rain,_  
><em>Watched it pour as I touched your face,<em>  
><em>Well, it burned while I cried<em>  
><em>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!"<em>

_"I set fire to the rain,_  
><em>And I threw us into the flames<em>  
><em>Where I felt something die<em>  
><em>'Cause I knew that there was the last time, the last time, oh, oh!"<em>

Everyone was silent as the song drew to a close. K.C. suddenly pulled into a driveway and grinned.

"Well that was a good distraction!" She said happily.

"Where are we..?" Columbus asked carefully, glancing out the window. K.C. dug through her bag and pulled out what looked like a garage door opener.

"Everyone, welcome to casa de K.C."

* * *

><p><em><strong>So, we're chilling(pun totally intended) at K.C.'s house! Mainly for some plot bunnies I came up with recently~!<strong>_

_**Please R&R! Be first and get a chapter dedicated to you!**_


	6. Sickly Sweet

_**Sink or Swim chapter 6! Dedicated to (holy crap!) Espionage1911, XxMusicChickxX and TacoStufferZombie for putting on story alert and SpektorShadow, Zora Vale and ChibiMiMi-chan for reviewing!**_

_**Disclaimer: *big breath* no.**_

* * *

><p>K.C.'s house was fairly average. It was 1 story, a small garage, and no front porch. The windows were blacked out and boarded over, and the front door had large cinder blocks sitting in front of it to keep it from opening.<p>

K.C. sat there for a little bit, loading her gun and mentally prepping herself. She knew the storm wasn't going to let up; she'd been through enough in her life to know that. The best thing they could do was hide out somewhere until the worst of it was past. And when she figured out how close they were to her old home, she decided to take the risk. The entire house was pretty much a war shelter, courtesy of her father.

"Ya know, my dad always thought the world was going to end with a nuclear war," she said to no one in particular. "It's kinda funny, how dead wrong he was."

She looked down at the small device in her hand. She glanced back up at the house. Even though it looked like the barriers held up well, she wasn't for sure. Being overly cautious pays off if you're still alive.

She took a slow breath and pressed down on the button.

The door slowly slid up. K.C. was impressed that it still worked. She pulled in quickly, pressing the button again. She jumped out and forced the door the rest of the way down. Everyone else slowly climbed out of the Escalade.

The garage looked close to a bomb shelter. Shelves full of MRE's, blankets, water; anything you could think of, it was probably there. K.C. turned and smiled crookedly at the others.

"Told ya my old man was crazy," she shrugged. She fumbled with her keys for a second and walked over to one of the doors. She prepped her gun and unlocked it, kicking the door open and cautiously glancing around.

"Good news; the bathroom's clear," she said, relaxing. She walked inside and looked around. One sink, one toilet, one shower, one door connecting it to the rest of the house; just like she'd left it. She looked curiously at the sink before reaching over and turning the faucet. There was some clunking and banging before rust colored water came out, turning clear in seconds. K.C.'s jaw literally dropped.

"What was that..?" Maine peeked in, looking at his dumbstruck cousin.

"It's... water..." She gasped, her eyes getting wide.

"What?"

"It's RUNNING WATER," she said louder, pointing like it was something she'd never seen before. Maine's eyes got wide and he ran in next to her.

"Son of a bitch..." Maine said softly, looking like he was seeing the second coming.

"We fuckin' have water..!" K.C. choked out, a crazy smile starting to come to her face.

"We fucking have running water!" Maine said loudly, grabbing her arm and shaking her.

They broke into hysterical laughter, bringing the other 5 in with confused looks. Of course, once they saw the clear liquid pouring out into the sink, they too were screaming and laughing.

"Wait, wait! What about the shower?" Wichita said, making her sister and K.C. stop. K.C. ran to it and turned to knobs for the water. The same clunking and banging sounded in the room until water began spraying out of the shower head.

"WE FUCKIN' HAVE A GODDAMNED SHOWER!" She screamed, getting another chorus of excited screams and laughs. Even Tallahassee seemed to like the idea of showering.

"There has to be a God! There's no possible way to explain this... this miracle!" Maine said, still getting squeezed to death by Little Rock.

"Either that or we must be pretty fuckin' lucky!" K.C. said with a stupid smile.

Weather it was God or luck, no one could say that finding K.C.'s house was a bad idea.

* * *

><p>"Nash, honey, come here for a sec."<p>

The little blonde boy stumbled over to the pale woman. K.C. put her hand in his forehead and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Wichita asked, braiding Little Rock's wet hair; she had just gotten out of the shower.

"I think he's gotta fever," K.C. mumbled back, putting her forehead to Nashville's. She sighed and looking him in the eyes.

"Are you feeling okay, hon?"

"'m fine," Nashville muttered back. K.C. cocked a brow at that.

"Bull shit. I had a son who used to like to lie to me about how he was feeling, too. Now, are you feeling okay?"

Nashville stared at the ground and slowly shook his head.

"No? Like how bad do you feel?"

"... m' stomach hurts... an' my head hurts... an' I'm cold..."

K.C. sighed and kissed his forehead.

"Okay, sweetie. I want you to lie down in the truck for a bit, okay?"

Nashville nodded and climbed up into the seat while K.C. walked over to the shelves. She pulled down a blanket and a first aid kit and walked back over to the open door.

"I never thought it'd feel so good ta bathe! ... Where's Nash?"

Tallahassee walked out of the bathroom and looked around. K.C. shushed him and wrapped the thick blanket around the little boy. He almost instinctively curled up in a ball.

"What's wrong?" Tallahassee demanded, coming over and standing behind K.C.

"Calm yourself, sir. We don't need him more riled up than he needs to be," she said softly, opening the kit and searching around.

"I think the kid's catchin' the flu or somethin'. Just try to keep calm, okay?" She whispered to the man. Tallahassee's hand immediately went to Nashville's head. She was right; he was burning up. K.C. frowned into the box and cursed bitterly under her breath.

"What now?" he half groaned.

"I can't find the fever reducer..."

"It's right there, dipshit!"

"That's for adults, dumbfuck. You can't give a 6-year-old adult medicine; he could get worse or OD," K.C. said calmly, checking it one more time.

"Damn, my dad must've been crazy and stupid," she said with an irritated sigh, shutting the box.

"Ya mean there's nothin' that cin help 'im?" Tallahassee asked, glancing at Nashville in the seat. He was beginning to actually look sick, which worried the big man to death. K.C. suddenly looked nervous.

"W-well... I never said that..." She looked hard at the door on the other side of the bathroom. Tallahassee followed her stare.

"There's some in yer house?"

K.C. nodded, looking a little scared.

"I had it for Ricky," she said in a small voice. Tallahassee realized why she was nervous; that was her old house, so it probably had anything and everything that could remind her of her son.

"I cin go get it," he said in a surprisingly soft voice. He frowned when she shook her head.

"I had to hide it. Ricky didn't know any better, so I had to hide all the medicine; it's impossible to find unless it's me," she said shakily.

"M-mama..?" K.C. and Tallahassee whipped around at the small whimper from the truck.

Nashville had gotten worse. MUCH worse. It seemed impossible to get so bad in a matter of minutes, but you have to remember that he was still, after all, a very young child. He was shaking hard, his skin deathly pale and cold sweat dripping down his face. The only thing that made it worse was that he was crying. Nashville, crying. Nashville, the little blonde clone of Tallahassee, with a scary intelligence, macabre sense of humor, and foul mouth, crying.

If you couldn't tell that Tallahassee and K.C. used to be parents, you could definitely tell now.

K.C. immediately swept him up into her arms and pressed him close to herself, suppressing the shakes. Tallahassee wrapped him big arms around both of them, giving his body heat to the small boy. Nashville blinked his eyes open, more tears streaming freely down his face and letting out a little sob.

"Shh, it's alright honey," K.C. murmured, pressing her lips to his forehead again. It took all she had not to break away from the alarming heat that was coming off it.

"I gotcha," Tallahassee whispered into his ear, gently running a hand through his blonde locks.

"What's wrong?" They heard Maine suddenly ask in a sleepy voice. He had obviously just woken up again.

"It's nothing," K.C. said, giving him a look that he didn't like.

"Mama..? Why am I so cold..?" Nashville's voice sounded scarily weak, and it made K.C.'s heart pound hard.

"You're just a little sick, baby," her mouth said instinctively before she could think.

"D-do I still gotta go ta school..?"

K.C. muttered something that sounded an awful lot like a cuss word before saying, "No, honey. You're gonna stay home today."

"Th' fuck are ya talkin' 'bout?" Tallahassee hissed over Nashville's head.

"He's hallucinating, dumb-ass! Just go with it!" K.C. hissed back.

Both immediately tensed up when his sobs got louder.

"Shh, baby, don't cry," K.C. said softly, rocking him gently.

"Don' fight wif Daddy… Ya promised, Mama, ya promised you'd stop fightin' wif Daddy," Nashville moaned pathetically.

Tallahassee tightened his hold on the two and said gently, "We ain't fightin', son."

"Yes you are!" he cried loudly, making the younger members of the group look up with concern.

"Baby, we're not fighting," K.C. said in a shaky voice, "I promise, we're not fighting."

"Yer lyin' ta me again!" Nashville half-screamed, shuddering and breathing hard.

"Nash, ya need ta get ahold'a yerself," Tallahassee tried to say in a steady voice; he wasn't going to admit it, but he was terrified for the kid.

"Not until ya promise ta stop hittin' Mama!"

Both of the adult's eyes got wide as the child kept weeping into K.C. dark shirt.

"Daddy… ya promised me you'd stop… ya promised that you'd stop hittin' me an' Mama an' Sissy an' John a-an' Travis an' Millie," Nashville whimpered, hiccupping.

Tallahassee and K.C. looked each other in the eye and saw the same thing; disgust. Pain. Shock. Panic.

"Take him," K.C. said, putting the hysterical boy into Florida's arms.

"What're ya-"

"I'm getting him medicine."

Tallahassee stared as she grabbed a gun and her keys.

"You four, help him. Tell that boy anything he wants to hear, or so help me God…" She left her threat unfinished.

With incredible speed, she ran into the bathroom, unlocked the door, and broke into a dead sprint.

All was quiet, except for Nashville's cries. The only think that snapped Tallahassee out of it was when the little boy began coughing roughly into his shirt.

"Shh, settle down kid," he said softly, sitting down on the seat in the open truck.

"N-not until ya promise," he whimpered, clinging to the big man's shirt for dear life.

"I promise. I promise, I'm never gonna hit yer Mama again. I'm never gonna hit anyone ever again. I promise," Tallahassee said in a gentle voice that shocked the others.

Slowly the others began to follow the instructions that K.C. had given them. They walked over and spoke in gentle, soft voices to the sick child. Even Columbus, who was afraid of everything, being sick included. Little Rock, who was one of Nashville's usual torturers, was being especially gentle. Maine had his cold hands on the boy's head, swapping them out every so often. Wichita had taken on K.C.

From inside the house, there was faint crashes and curses and screams and finally gunshots. There was more screams that sounded like pain and a few more crashes before the sound of frantic footsteps came pounding back towards them. Maine leapt up when K.C. came crashing back through the door. Blood was running down from the cut on her temple and black fluid covered her body and was splattered on the lower half of her face, thankfully away from her wound. She half threw a bottle at him before sinking to the floor. Maine stumbled back to catch it and ran back to the garage.

After a few minutes of struggling, Nashville downed the tablets, and in little more than 15 minutes was asleep. Tallahassee had also calmed down considerably once the boy was out, carefully setting him on the seat and brushing his hair out of his face.

"He's alright now… right?" Little Rock asked fearfully. Tallahassee glanced back at her and nodded. Then he looked around and realized they were one person short.

"Where's K.C.?"

"She was in the bathroom," Maine answered, half-way asleep and leaning on the truck.

Tallahassee walked that way immediately, preparing for the worse. He stopped in the doorway, looking at where she was sitting on the tile. She wasn't crying, but looked close to it. She was rubbing at one of her black covered hands, unsuccessfully wiping it clean. He was over in two long strides and knelt down in front of her.

"Hey… Hey, look at me…" He carefully took her face in his rough hands.

"It won't come off…" she half whimpered, tears welling up into her cloudy eyes.

"It's okay," Tallahassee said softly, stilling her hands and putting his forehead onto hers, "It'll come off."

He gently took her over to the sink and turned it on, making the water warm, but not scalding. He put them under with his own, thumbing the foul smelling substance off.

"See? Comes off nice 'n easy," he murmured, letting her shrink into him.

He cupped his right hand and let it fill with water. He took the other and bent her over before splashing it onto her face. He made sure none of the contaminated bile got into her eyes or cut. She took a shuddering breath, shaking slightly. Tallahassee took some more water and carefully poured it into her hair. K.C. shut her eyes as she felt a disgusting thickness drip from her locks and down the drain. Tallahassee looked at the doorway; Wichita and Little Rock where watching with something that looked like curiosity in their matching eyes.

"Make yerselves useful and get 'er somethin' else ta wear," he half growled at them.

They disappeared and were back in two seconds, Columbus following with the first-aid kit. Tallahassee moved from the young woman and the sisters set to work, peeling off her ruined t-shirt. Normally this would've been private, but the way the woman was, the two men took it with the upmost seriousness. They did turn away when Wichita took her bra off; again, they had to be serious, and, well, that's never something you can be serious about. Wichita worked quickly, slipping a new bra and a clean navy blue tank top onto her body. She covered it with a black sweat shirt that fell off one of her shoulders. Then, with help from her sister, she yanked the bloody sneakers from her feet and changed her out of her filthy jeans, slipping her into a different pair that were baggy with the knees ripped out; after spending time with the older woman, they knew exactly how to make her comfortable.

Columbus took over with patching her head up; being such a phobic young man, he had taken a first-aid class. He carefully took a wet rag and dabbed at her head, getting a slight hiss in response. Tallahassee took that as a good sign; she was going back to normal. Columbus applied some peroxide just in case before covering it with a few bandages.

K.C. sat there, clean and trembling. She still looked like she was going to cry, but for some reason she wouldn't. Tallahassee took her hands and helped her off the floor. He let her lean on him.

"You okay?" he asked, trying to look her in the eye. She was silent, staring at the ground with a numb expression.

"I wanna leave," she finally said.

Tallahassee looked at the others, and they saw that he wasn't giving anyone a choice in this. They were going to leave, storm or not.

"I'll tell Maine," Little Rock said, quickly walking out. Wichita and Columbus followed behind, leaving the two slayers alone.

"C'mon," Tallahassee said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"… H-have you ever…" K.C. started, biting hard on her lip when she almost sobbed. Tallahassee stopped and waited for her.

"Have you ever… had the feeling… like your hearts gonna explode? Like… Like it's gonna explode, and you get the air sucked out of you… and you feel… vulnerable..?"

Tallahassee stared silently as her eyes scanned the floor.

"I brought him into this world…" she said in a little less than a whisper.

Tears began to stream down her face.

"I got to bring him into this world… and I had to take him out…"

She started to shake violently, her face screwing up and tears flowing down like rivers.

"What kind of a mother am I..? That I had to… that I had to kill my own son..?"

Tallahassee enveloped her in his arms, letting her cry into his chest.

"I gotcha," he said, brushing her hair behind her ear like he'd seen Columbus do to Wichita.

"I-I… I thought… I thought I could start over and… and do it right this time… with Nash," she said through deep breaths.

"But… it's just…"

"It ain't the same," Tallahassee finished.

She began to cry harder, wrapping her arms around his middle. He let her. He stood there, unmoving and strong, while she cried hard into his shirt. She wasn't sobbing like a few weeks ago; it was quiet and weak, barely making any sounds.

"We're ready," Columbus said from the door, making the two flinch.

"Damn, spit-fuck, don't sneak up like that," Tallahassee grumbled. He looked down at K.C. She had a strange look on her face; it was a mix of sorrow, weakness, and… gratitude.

"Guys, c'mon; I wanna get going before daylight," they heard Maine call. Columbus disappeared, once again leaving them alone.

"Tallahassee..?"

The blue eyes met the slate eyes.

K.C. smiled tiredly; it wasn't forced or anything.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She got on her toes and gently brushed her lips across his.

Tallahassee blinked owlishly at her.

He had no idea where that came from, but whether it was because of emotional instability or just the spur of the moment, he secretly wished he knew.

"What th' hell was that fer?"

K.C. smiled and sighed.

"My thank you, if you don't mind. And no, I'm not emotionally instable or anything."

She couldn't hide her grin when a surprised look flashed across his face.

"How didja..?"

"You're easy to read."

They stood there for a few seconds before Tallahassee bent over and pressed his lips to hers.

She blinked in surprise as he tilted her chin up.

He broke away and smirked.

"Yer welcome."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ugh! This took forever! Anyways, I hope this make up for the leave of absence… Yeah, I know, it's focusing mainly around K.C. and Tallahassee, but they're my favorite… *sigh* anywho, if you have an idea for a chapter, feel free to tell me! It can be TallaxK.C. centered, ColumbusxWichita centered, or anything else. Just review. Yeah, you can see where this is going, can't you?<strong>_

_**PLEASE R&R! Be first and get a chapter dedicated to you!**_

_**~Hallelujah… Hallelujah…~**_


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